If I Lay Here
by Jemmz
Summary: My own version of Charlie's death. Inspired by Chasing Cars by snow patrol...


_**My version of Charlie's death. I had another version I wrote down BEFORE I heard all the rumours and it wasn't as horrible as the real thing. I actually made this up before I saw his real death :P **_

He raced to the room and typed in the code as fast as he could, sweat dripping down his face. Michkail had set off a bomb in the hatch and it was rapidly leaking water in. Charlie knew he could die. But he didn't want to. Unless he absolutely had to. And right now it seemed they had a chance. Maybe the redeemed rock star would be able to sit on a boat with his beloved Claire and stick two fingers up at the island as they sailed away holding each other and laughing as they thought about Charlie's lucky escape.

He had to stop thinking about that. About what only **could **be and start thinking about now. Otherwise his fantasy would never come true. He would never be able to hold Claire's body or feel her soft lips ever again. So he cursed himself and told himself to concentrate. Otherwise he would die and it would all be over. In a flash….

As he typed in the last number and the machine started beeping like music to his ears he sighed heavily in relief and propped himself up against the wall. But there was no time to rejoice. The water was now around his knees. His heart raced. Bloody hell, he'd never felt so scared. Even on the sodding island he had never felt so afraid for his life. And it was because he knew what was going to happen.

He waded through the thick sea of green and blue as the water poured in faster and faster.

"Desmond!" he yelled, "Des!"

"Charlie! Hurry!" Desmond yelled.

Charlie followed the Scotsman's voice. He never thought he'd be so happy to hear him.

"Desmond," he breathed, "Thank God."

Desmond looked panicked, trying to think, "You typed the code in?"

Charlie nodded enthusiastically, "Yep. Beeped and everything," he panted trying to get his breath.

Desmond looked at Charlie, "But…."

Charlie knew where this was going, "Maybe….maybe we changed it. Together. We kicked fate in the arse, how about that, eh?" he chuckled.

But Desmond knew it was too late to rejoice. The glass beside them cracked and Desmond pushed Charlie to one side in to the water as the force of the water thrashed its way in to the hatch and poured in violently.

Who ever thought water could cause so much damage?

Charlie hit the bottom of the hatch struggling for breath. Desmond pulled him back up to the air and they breathed heavily as Charlie stared at the glass that was now broken and pouring in water faster and faster. It was then he realised. He wasn't safe yet.

"We have to hurry!" Desmond Spluttered, "Charlie! Charlie, listen to me!" he tried to get the distracted Charlie's attention. He looked at Desmond in fear. A face that made Desmond fearful too. "We have to get out of here now brother! Otherwise we'll both die!"

He grabbed Charlie's arm and tugged him along. They both took deep breaths and swam for the opening underneath the hatch. Desmond's hair floated in the blue liquid obscuring his sight further as he continued tugging on to Charlie. There was no way he was gonna let him go now.

Air bubbles shot to the surface as oxygen quickly ran out for Charlie. He lied. He couldn't hold his breath for 4 minutes. Maybe 3 if he was lucky. He wanted so badly to be the hero. He wanted so badly to free of Claire of this burden. Not being able to buy her baby proper nappies or take him to see the zoo or lay him in a proper bed. But most of all he wanted them happy.

And as Charlie's eyes closed and his arm dropped his last thoughts were of them. Claire and Aaron. The family he never had. The family he earned the trust and respect for. The family he loved more than anything in the whole damn world. He then knew the answer to his own question that day when he asked Liam, _"What about my family?!" _The question his dear brother couldn't answer. But now Charlie understood why Liam had left. Because he loved his family. What about Charlie's family? They were on the island. Soon to be rescued because of him.

And a small smile crept along his bleeding, cracked lips, his bruised eyes closed, his chafed arms dropped to his sides and Desmond knew. He knew what had happened. But for some reason he lifted Charlie high above him, pushing him to the surface first and holding his head above the water to the fresh salty air. Desmond breathed deeply himself. Tears of panic and desperation leaked as he splashed his way to the beach holding Charlie's neck above the angry sea as the furious waves his them.

Des cried out. He saw figures on the beach. He didn't care who they were, he didn't give a damn just as long as they helped him and Charlie out of the water.

Sayid saw, Sawyer looked on as the 2 figures struggled in the water.

"SOMEONE HELP ME!" yelled Desmond so loudly and forcefully it scared not only the people on the beach but him too.

Sayid immediately ran towards the two, taking Charlie from Desmond's grasp. Sawyer stared in disbelief,

"Son of a bitch," he said horror stricken, unsure what to do. Sayid yelled to him and soon enough he knew. Sawyer ran towards them and helped Sayid with Charlie as Desmond spluttered on the shore, coughing water up and recovering from the scare and panic.

Hurley who was talking to Juliet looked up. Juliet followed his gaze and they both saw Charlie's limp body being carried and layed on to the sandy floor.

Hurley was frozen to the spot, he just stared and felt his moth run dry. All he could manage was a feeble, horror stricken, "D..dude?"

Juliet jumped up immediately and ran to the cold man on the floor. She felt for a pulse, "I can't feel it! I can't feel a pulse," she announced trying his neck, his wrist, anywhere she may be able to find signs of life

Hurley stood slowly watching from a distance, "No….God no"

Not Charlie. Not friendly, lovable Charlie! Not the dude who he fished with when they first crashed, who he asked advice of and gossiped to, whom he made jokes with and laughed at. Not Charlie Pace!

Desmond, who had barely recovered from the shock pushed the crowd out the way, "Move!" he cried, eyes wet and heart beating fast. He dropped down beside his friend and began thumping on his chest as hard as he could.

It's worked before. It'll work again. The junkie has been saved, who's to say he can't now?

But fate has a funny way of working out. A cruel way. And Hurley could only just bring himself to climb down by Desmond and watch as he forced his fists on to Charlie's weak chest.

_Breathe Charlie. Just breathe. Oh breathe please!_

_Do it for Claire, do it for Aaron, for redemption! Your life! Just sodding BREATHE!_

But he didn't breathe. Sawyer wandered away biting his nails for the first time in ages. Sayid bent his head and looked away. Hurley cried tears of bitter regret and sorrow. Juliet put a hand on Desmond's arm.

"No! Get off me! I have to save him! I have to!" Desmond cried continuing to thump on dear Charlie's chest. "Remember, I've been saving you all this time," he told his weak, unconscious friend, "I can do it again, brother! I can do it again!"

But he couldn't. And deep down the Scot knew he couldn't….and shouldn't. So when Juliet put a hand on his trembling arm a second time he paused and stopped. Knowing she was right. And Charlie…..Charlie Pace was gone.

Time seemed to slow dramatically when the rest of the survivors came walking down the beach. Claire emerged holding little Aaron hoping to see her beloved Charlie.

"_**We'll do it all  
Everything  
On our own"**_

She breathed deeply feeling the cool air hit her lungs and she managed a small smile a the knowledge Charlie would soon be in her arms to welcome her back. And she'd welcome him back too!

"_**We don't need  
Anything  
Or anyone"**_

She imagined his beautiful, cheeky smile and sighed in relief she would soon see that again. But everyone seemed to stop and time seemed to stand still or slow horribly as she made her final few steps. Everyone seemed to stare at her. She noticed Sayid talk to Jack and Sawyer stopped in front of her.

"You don't wanna see this," he told her regretfully.

Her heart stopped suddenly in her chest as her throat went dry and her eyes threatened tears and she knew something terrible had happened, "See what?" she demanded pretending she was clueless. Tricking herself.

Sawyer wouldn't move but Claire was persistent and tried to push him out of her view so she could see what he was hiding. There was a crowd behind him. And gasps.

She was curious and terrified at the same time.

"Claire, you really **don't** want to go down there yet!"

Claire could tell this was serious. Sawyer had used her name. That's what pushed her over the edge. She shoved the man out the way, stepped forwards and stood in shock at what she saw. People parted and stared at her as they slowly moved to reveal a dead, cold, unmoving Charlie on the floor beneath them. He was just lying there.

"_**If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world"**_

She suddenly rushed, ran towards him. Her beloved rock star. Her beloved Charlie and dropped beside him and she knew he didn't make it. She knew what happened and she didn't even bother asking.

"_**I don't quite know  
How to say  
How I feel"**_

"Oh Charlie," she bawled, tears leaking from her delicate blue eyes, "Charlie.."

She knelt down to his face and kissed his cold, broken lips, "I love you Charlie," she whispered softly. But somehow….saying it to him now didn't satisfy her.

"_**Those three words,  
are said too much  
they're not enough"**_

They weren't enough and she launched herself in to a crying fit holding him in a hug and lying next to him, hugging him tightly, tears pouring on him as she buried herself in his neck and hair.

"_**If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?"**_

She ignored everyone else. To her, at this moment-they didn't exist. Most of them wandered off and left her and Charlie alone anyway. She hugged him tightly and rested her arm across his chest. He was still wet and cold but she didn't care. She just lay beside him, holding him, forgetting everyone else and every other problem.

"_**If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?"**_

She lay there with him for hours, the tears finally drying on her pale face, her body trembling as she rested beside him. Wherever he had gone, she wanted to be with him. It was just her and Charlie alone. Her blue eyes twinkled.

"Claire?"

She sniffed and didn't even blink or look away from Charlie's peaceful face.

Standing above her were Kate and Desmond.

"Honey," Kate said in a warm whisper, "You need to go."

"No," Claire replied even quieter, tightening her grip around her love.

"Aaron needs you, Claire." Aaron was probably with Sun but she didn't care.

"I just want Charlie back," she closed her eyes and the tears fell again.

"I know," Desmond said, his voice low, "I'm so sorry Claire."

She ignored him.

Desmond remembered the paper Charlie had given him. He cleared his throat and began to read quietly what the ex rock God had written,

"_#5- The first time I heard myself on the radio.  
#4- Dad teaching me to swim at Butlins.  
#3- The Christmas Liam gave me the ring.  
#2- Woman outside Covent Gardens calls me a hero.  
#1- The night I met you." _

He read each one slowly and softly. Claire sniffed and swallowed back tears, "W..what was that?"

"Charlie's Greatest Hits as he described them….They're his top 5 moments in his life," he said gently leaning beside Claire and handing her the letter.

She looked at it for a couple of minutes before holding it tightly to her chest and weeping in to Charlie's ear. "I..I want him back!" she wailed, "I..I loved him! I want him back, I just want him here with me," she cried on and on.

Sayid and Jack approached. They needed the poor man's body. Desmond and Kate looked at them both before exchanging worried glances. Then Desmond scooped the distraught Claire in his arms wrenching her away from Charlie's body. She tried to restrain and she wailed louder, hitting Desmond and yelling. But she became weak and she let the Scot take her away from the Mancunian man she loved and knew so well. Desmond let her cry in to him and let her cry out her pain as he and Kate took her away down the beach. Her crying echoed down the beach and people bowed their heads in sorrow.

Sayid and Jack stared at the Charlie's lifeless body. He looked so peaceful as he lay there. They almost didn't want to move him. But they had to. One thing Jack was certain to get across. Charlie was a hero.

Jack and Sayid moved in on the body, almost dry-Claire had been there so long. And Charlie was no longer here on the island to be rescued. He was somewhere better.

"_**All that I am  
All that I ever was  
Is here in your perfect eyes  
They're all I can see"**_

"_**If I lay here  
If I just lay here  
Would you lie with me and just forget the world?"**_

**Man, that was heartbreaking stuff sorry it was so long. Got carried away. And it's late so that's it. The song was chasing cars by snow patrol. Please review. Thanks!**


End file.
